The Vacant Throne (Throne of Amenkor) [Hardcover]

Joshua Palmatier (Author)

Book Description

Series: Throne of Amenkor | Publication Date: January 2, 2008

Ruled by the Mistress of the Skewed Throne, the city of Amenkor has just survived a devastating invasion, paying a terrible price both in the loss of lives and destruction in the city itself. Yet perhaps the most crucial loss is the throne of Amenkor-the true seat of power in every sense-now totally drained of the magic, knowledge, life force, and memories of previous rulers. The city's only hope lies with its sometime ally, the city of Venitte, home to the throne that is twin in power to Amenkor's, the two created at the same time by a magic that no one can now duplicate.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The solid third Throne of Amenkor novel (after 2006's The Cracked Throne) delivers plenty of action and intrigue. Varis, the ruling Mistress of Amenkor, struggles to rebuild Amenkor's defenses and economy after a devastating attack by the seafaring Chorl. Varis was only able to save Amenkor by destroying the Skewed Throne, Amenkor's ancient seat of protective power, and now must rely on her own inner resources. Meanwhile, her mentor, Erick, tortured by the Chorl, lies near death. The arrival of a ship from the southern port city of Venitte brings the hope of alliance, especially if Varis can locate the Stone Throne, built to protect Venitte, but mysteriously lost centuries earlier. The hope that a lord in Venitte may be able to heal Erick pushes Varis to travel there, even as Chorl forces are on the move at sea and on land. Palmatier's intriguing characters and complex setting continue to entertain in this deservedly successful fantasy series. (Jan.)
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About the Author

Joshua Palmatier holds a Ph.D. in and teaches mathematics at Oneonta. The Skewed Throne was his first published novel.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 544 pages
• Publisher: DAW Hardcover (January 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0756404622
• ISBN-13: 978-0756404628
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,317,669 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Joshua Palmatier is a writer with a PhD in mathematics. He was born in Pennsylvania, but has lived in numerous states over his life and currently resides in New York while teaching mathematics full-time at a university. "The Skewed Throne," his first work of fantasy, was a Compton Crook finalist for best first novel in the science fiction and fantasy genres for 2006. "The Cracked Throne" and "The Vacant Throne" complete the series. He is currently at work on "Well of Sorrows," the start of a new series set in the same world as the Throne books.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Keeps on getting better!!!!, February 22, 2008

By 

E. Hill "book lover" (Palm Bay, Florida United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Vacant Throne (Throne of Amenkor) (Hardcover)

I read this whole entire book in one day!!! And you know what it didn't disappoint me. Varis has managed to save her city, but not without some extensive damage. She has managed to believe in her abilities both magical and leadership wise. The only thing that bugged me some what was the lack of details when it came to describing the other cities and ports outside of Amenkor. But that was just a minor blip on the whole thing. I loved how vividly each character was written and portrayed. The plot was fantastic and, and...you'll just have to read it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent fantasy, January 28, 2008

By 

David Brukman (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Vacant Throne (Throne of Amenkor) (Hardcover)

This book is the third fantasy in a series, and would benefit from reading the first 2 in series.

The main character, Varis, who is now the Mistress of Amenkor, is facing the difficult recovery of her city from a deadly, barely repulsed, invasion of the Chorl. Facing the threat of the Chorl coming back, Varis and others want to improve Amenkor's defenses, as well as help other coastal cities prepare for the inevitable fight, all while the main source of Amenkor's magic is gone.

Varis herself, and her allies are sympathetic and interesting. The magic is fairly conventional but well-proportioned: formidable but not unlimited. The Chorl emerge with some more intersting detail, and the pace suitably quick, combining frantic combat, tense waiting, and occasional periods of relaxation.

The cities themselves are a bit sketchy, but the interesting characters and tense plot carry the story.

The book comes to a suitable resolution, but a place for a sequel is clear, and I, for one, am looking forward to it.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Vacant Throne won't leave you feeling empty!, July 7, 2009

By 

Victoria M. (Upstate New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Vacant Throne (Mass Market Paperback)

Teenage Varis, the Mistress of Amenkor, has managed to save her city from an attack by the deadly and powerful Chorl. Amenkor lay in ruins. The Skewed Throne sits cracked and useless. Its power is dead. But their troubles with the blue-skinned, magic wielding Chorl are far from over. After the destruction of the Chorl's High Priestest, known as the Ochean, the invaders begin a well-calculated plan to take over the nearby city of Venitte instead. At first it is believed they want the port city because it is a major trading stop, but as Varis learns more through dreams she should no longer be able to have and expands her visions and experience beyond the realm of Amenkor, the motivations become a whole lot clearer. Two Thrones were created by the Seven Adepts thousands of years ago to protect Venitte and Amenkor. One was brought to Amenkor, the other; the Stone Throne seems to have vanished. Varis comes to believe it never left Venitte, though no one seems to know where it is. It's a race against time and the threat of more Chorl attacks as Varis and a small fleet of Amenkor ships set out to warn Lord March in Venitte of the Chorl and save the Stone Throne from destruction or conquest.

There's a little something for everyone in Joshua Palmatier's "The Vacant Throne", the final book in the Throne of Amenkor series. For the ladies, we have a budding romance for Mistress Varis. A sense of sisterhood begins to form in the most unlikely of places, between what should be bitter enemies. For the men, battles... lots and lots of sword-swinging, hell-screaming, bloody battles. I'm not usually one to get all choked up over a book, but Joshua had me in tears a few times with some extremely touching and emotional moments as well.

This final novel wraps up most of the threads spun in the first two, but we are still left with a few tantalizing questions. There would certainly be room for another book about this fascinating coastal world, but for now, I am satisfied to let those questions rest. I am greatly looking forward to Joshua's next novel, "Well of Sorrows" which I hear is due to come out in the Spring of 2010!